The Minnesota Vikings need to be bold this offseason or it might be time for a rebuild and the perfect way to do that would be to make a trade to draft Tua Tagovailoa. Kirk Cousins is a fine quarterback, maybe even a little above average, but he has proven he isn't the quarterback to lead the team to a Super Bowl.
Problems with Kirk Cousins
Cousins is an above-average quarterback, as long as conditions are exactly perfect. If he can stand in the pocket and survey the field he is going to hit all of his throws. He might even make some throws that wow people, and remind people why the Vikings paid him so much money.
The big problem with Cousins is when the pocket breaks down and he feels pressure he starts to panic. Pro Football Focus ranked Cousins as the 4th best quarterback in the league when he had a clean pocket. When Cousins was under pressure, PFF had him ranked as 23rd in the NFL. The Vikings' offensive line struggled last season, and it's probably not something that will be magically fixed this offseason.
Cousins is also entering the last year of his contract. If the team does want to re-sign him it's going to take another big contract, and that will be wasted money because he isn't leading the team to a title.
Why Tua could be the answer
Tua suffered a terrible hip injury that has left a lot of doubt about his health, and for good reasons. There is no doubt that drafting him is a risk, but to have success in the NFL, chances need to be taken. The Vikings need to consider this when trying to take their team to the next level.
Todd McShay compared Tagovailoa to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (h/t Saturday Down South).
“Frightening. I really am. But if I get Tua, who is right (healthwise), and his hip is back (to 100 percent) and he’s got that same twitch — he’s a lefty version of Drew Brees,” McShay said during the show. “But we just aren’t going to know. It’s one of the most unique cases that I’ve ever seen at the quarterback position because you’re not going to know making that decision but how do you pass on him knowing there’s a chance he could become your franchise quarterback and become one of the elite players and lead you to a Super Bowl?”
Even when the pocket breakdowns around Tua, he stays calm and still keeps his eyes downfield looking for an open receiver. He also has the ability to use his legs when he needs to, and in today's NFL that is a big key.
Just a few years ago the Kansas City Chiefs surprised everyone when they drafted Patrick Mahomes while Alex Smith was still playing well for the team.
The Chiefs just won the Super Bowl because of that one gamble, the Vikings need to do the same.
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